Ice Cream Sandwich brings Android Beam to Galaxy Nexus

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Android Beam is just one of the little tweaks to come out of Google's Ice Cream Sandwich update, and with it comes the ability to nudge data across phones - essentially, tap-to-share functionality.

Admittedly this is nothing new as it was a function of the Pre 3 and TouchPad - however it was rather limited in that it was only these devices that it worked across. Now, as long as you happen to have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus sporting Ice Cream Sandwich and a buddy who has the same, sharing data will be an absolute breeze... perhaps.

This data sharing includes maps, links to websites or apps, and maybe the odd image or YouTube vid - as the NFC tech that it uses is limited. How useful this application of NFC technology, at this early stage, turns out to be remains to be seen, though it does raise interesting possibilities outside the well documented payment systems.

Needless to say this is one to watch.

Can you see yourself using Android Beam? Let us know in the comments...